Activity Helps Prevent CV Disease in Lupus

Analysis of data from patients who underwent carotid ultrasound and answered detailed questionnaires about their exercise habits revealed a negative correlation between mean intima-media thickness and physical activity (r=−0.14, P=0.03), according to Elizabeth R. Volkmann, MD, of the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues.

There was a similar negative correlation between the number of carotid plaques and physical activity (r=−0.14, P=0.04), the researchers reported in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

Patients with lupus are at risk for coronary artery disease and stroke, and myocardial infarction -- the leading cause of death among these patients -- typically occurs before age 50.

"Discovering ways to reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality is a major focus of study in [lupus] research," the researchers wrote.